17 February

A popular day today: a Haigh from Yorkshire who became a banksman at the coal mine at Temple Newsam; a Strachan from Ayrshire who died of typhoid fever; a Simpson from Yorkshire who became a coal miner at Monk Bretton; and a Watt descendent from Aberdeenshire who migrated to USA and lived in Vinalhaven.

17 February 1799
Baptism of my ggggg uncle Benjamin Haigh at Royston, Yorkshire, son of Joseph Haigh and Ann Savile. In 1817 he married Sarah Ward at Whitkirk, which is now considered a suburb of Leeds. In 1841 Benjamin is an ag lab at Newsam Green and he and Sarah have 6 children. They were to remain at Newsam Green for the rest of their lives. By 1851 Benjamin is a colliery labourer and he and Sarah have 8 children, a son in law, a granddaughter and a visitor with them. In 1861 Benjamin’s occupation is banksman, which was the person who made sure people and coal were removed safely from the cages at the head of the shaft and that the cages were lowered and raised safely. By 1861 Benjamin and Sarah had 2 children, a grandchild and a lodger with them, and in 1871 just had a granddaughter living with them. By 1881 Benjamin had retired and he and Sarah has a daughter, son in law and their 8 children living with them. Benjamin died in 1885 at Newsam Green and was buried at Whitkirk: his age is given as 90 but he was actually 85.

17 February 1856
Birth of Joseph Howat Strachan at Dreghorn, Ayrshire, son of coal miner Andrew Strachan and Jean Walker and grandson of my gggg uncle Robert Strachan and Jean Kelly. In 1861 he’s with his parents and siblings at Annick Bank, Dreghorn, and then his father died in 1864. In 1871 Joseph, age 14 and a coal miner, is in Dreghorn with his mother and two brothers. There is a Poor Relief application in January 1877 at Dreghorn for coal miner Joseph Strachan, unmarried, who was wholly disabled with typhus fever. Nor surprisingly, he died shortly afterwards.

17 February 1861
Baptism of Charles Simpson at Royston, Yorkshire, illegitimate son of my ggg aunt Jane Simpson and grandson of linen weaver George Simpson and Charlotte Haigh. He is with his grandparents, mother and aunts and uncles in Royston in 1861. In 1862 his mother married coal miner John Murgatroyd White of Carlton, and in 1871 Charles is with his mother, stepfather and half siblings at New Laith Lane, Carlton. The family is still in Carlton in 1881 and Charles has become a coal miner. He married Elizabeth Howarth in 1885 and they settled in Smithies, Monk Bretton where Charles worked as a coal miner and where they raised a large family.

17 February 1873
Birth of Mary Ann Duguid at Tarves, daughter of my ggg aunt Mary Ann Watt and George Duguid. Her father was a farm servant but shortly after Mary Ann’s birth the family moved to Edinburgh where George Duguid worked as a railway shunter. He died in Edinburgh in 1877. In 1881 Mary Ann is with her aunt and uncle William and Elizabeth Duguid at Fyvie, her siblings are with various aunts, uncles and grandparents, and her other is working as a domestic nurse at Meldrum House. In 1891 Mary Ann is a domestic servant at Blackford Farm, Auchterless, and she then gave birth to an illegitimate daughter later in 1891. Meanwhile, her mother had migrated to USA and had married in New York to William Rae. In 1894 Mary Ann and her 2 year old daughter sailed to Boston, USA and the passenger lists says they were going to her mother Mrs Rae of Parks Island. in 1891 Mary Ann Duguid married James Ross, a granite cutter, at Vinalhaven, Maine. They are in the 1900 census at Vinalhaven and have had a son. In 1910 they are still in Vinalhaven with 3 children plus Lizzie Duguid, now called Lizzie Ross, who is working at the net factory. The family are at Summer Street, Vinalhaven in 1920, with all 4 of Mary Ann’s children still at home, and are there in 1930 with 3 children still at home. Vinalhaven was home to several granite quarries and was also famous for the horse nets made there.

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